We are delighted to congratulate Olivia Horn, a graduate student mentored by Dr. Scott Hayes, on receiving a prestigious NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship Award. This highly competitive award will support Olivia’s research investigating how the balance of daily activities, including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, influences brain health and cognitive function across adulthood.
Olivia’s research will examine how patterns of movement, rest, and sleep over a 24-hour period relate to memory, thinking abilities, and the health of the brain’s white matter, which is essential for communication between different brain regions. By studying adults across the lifespan and tracking changes over time, her work aims to identify lifestyle behaviors that promote healthy cognitive aging and protect against age-related brain decline. The findings could help inform future strategies to maintain brain health, extend independence, and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
Congratulations, Olivia, on this outstanding achievement and well-deserved recognition of your important research!